Boarding your comic book in a bag or sleeve provides many benefits. Given they are stiff enough (most boards usually are), they support the comic book spine and maintain a flat, stiffened position which prevents bending and creasing. Ideally, the board should be acid free and archival safe, and should help trap and neutralise migrating acids; these properties prevent damage.
Acid-free vs Ordinary Cardboard
Yes, a piece of cardboard is certainly stiff, and certainly cheap, but it has none of the properties that protect the comic from damage. Cardboard of the ordinary type has a natural acid that, over time, will deteriorate the paper and colour.
Comic book boards with Micro-chamber technology have a molecular sieve that can trap migrating acids from the comic’s paper and neutralize them. A buffered acid-free board is also efficient in preventing acid migration, but cannot trap nor neutralise said acids. Standard comic book boards generally have a buffer coating on one side to create a pH neutral in an effort to not cause harm to the comic book.
Acid-free vs Archival-safe
The terms ‘acid-free’ and ‘archival-safe’ are used interchangeably by backing board manufacturers, but they are not the same thing.
Acid-free means that your board is manufactured with a minimum pH of 7 or higher throughout to maintain pH neutral. These are generally white on both sides, lignin free and contaminant free. Fun fact: the best boards are actually made from cotton!
Acid free may also describe boards that are manufactured with an alkaline buffer coating on one side. These have a gloss coat on one side (a smoother side) to neutralise the acid; it should be the side touching the comic, not the matte side. However, this does not guarantee that your item won’t become acidic later. A better description would be ‘acid-free at time of manufacture‘. Backing boards with a glossy side are not always acid free; they are suitable for short term storage and can last longer when kept in a safe environment.
Refer to the following link for an interesting PH test on different backing boards
Recommendations
Short-Term Storage
- Boards with 3% or more buffer coating on one side to create pH neutral (may contain acid)
- Usually 24 – 30 point thick
- White on one side
- Best to replace between 5 – 7 years depending on the environmental conditions
- Smooth side of the board goes against the comic.
Medium-Term Storage >7yrs
- Boards made of cotton are usually the best; boards that are acid free 3-5% alkaline buffered throughout can be just as good
- Usually have a pH >8
- Generally white on both sides but there are several colours available through various manufacturers (be aware that colouring may render the board unsuitable for archival storage)
- Usually 24 – 40 point.
Long-Term – Indefinite Storage 50+ yrs.
- 100% alpha cellulose board with 3-5% alkaline buffered throughout
- Lignin-free, contaminant-free
- pH >8, acid-free
- Best boards are made from cotton and with a molecular sieve that can trap migrating acids in paper and neutralize it
- Usually 24 – 40 point
- These should meet some sort of international standard like the Library of Congress Archival Standards for indefinite storage, the PAT Test or ISO 9706 Long-life; papers displaying this symbol are guaranteed by international standards to last up to 100 years.
Preserver Haven has a wide range of boards to suit most situations: the basic short-term board (BCW, Ultimate Guard), to the medium-long term Stalward Premium and Stalward Elite range. The extra cost of higher quality boards is a truly beneficial investment; it saves having to continually replace cheap boards, and grants a piece of mind knowing that your comic is well preserved.